Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 4, 1938. w, G|FFARD 2,104,480

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1936 INVENTOR. m 5 W/wmu G/FFWPD ATTORNEY.

150 1 3.7 I JJ Patented Jan. 4, 1938 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Whitney Giffard, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Nash-Kelvinator (lorporation, Detroit,

Maryland Mich.,

a corporation of Application October 16, 1936, Serial No. 105,351

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for use with mechanical refrigerators and more particularly to a device for facilitating the removal of ice trays fromthe freezing compartment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a releasing mechanism for ice freezing trays that. have become substantially bonded to the shelves within the compartment of the evaporator through the accumulation of frost and ice about the trays, likewise from ice formed of Water placed in the shelf to provide a more efficient thermal bond with the tray for faster icemaking.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a common control means for facilitating the removal of a plurality of trays, but a selective means for the release of only thedesired trays.

A further object is to provide a new and improved means for use with refrigerator ice-freezing trays of breaking the ice and frost bond by raising the tray a sufficient distance from the evaporating unit to permit a ready removal of the tray from its compartment.

A still further object is to provide a means for facilitating the removal of ice-freezing trays from its compartment in a refrigerator unit which is simple in construction, economical of manufacture, highly efficient in use and which is associ ated at all times with the evaporator thus permitting the use of a free tray unencumbered of all mechanism.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of certainfeatures of construction and combinations of parts which will be apparent, to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal cross sectional view of an evaporator embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the evaporator and invention;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the ice tray release levers in a normal and raised position.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, the numeral l0 designates in general a liquid refrigerant evaporator provided with refrigerant passages Provided in the evaporator 10 is a shelf l2 resting on parallel and longitudinally extending ribs |3 formed on the inner face of the side walls. The shelf l2 is provided with extending side walls l4 that frictionally engage the evaporator sidewalls to provide for greater thermal conductivity. Suitable ice freezing trays IS and |5a are slidably mounted on the shelf I2 and on thesurface of the bottom wall of the evaporator respectively. A depression Il may be provided in the shelf l2 to provide against defectivethermal contact between tray and shelf by filling the depression with water to bond the contacting surfaces together through the medium of an ice bond.

Rotatably mounted in supporting bearings l8 secured to the undersurface of the shelf I2 is a rod H! which extends forwardly beyond the front edge of the shelf to be formed into a suitable handle or lever 20. The opposite end of the rod |9 is offset to form a crank 2|.

J ournaled by pins 23 and 25 upon theupwardly bent portion 22 of the shelf l2 are levers 24 and 26. The lever 24 is formed with an upwardly extending portion 21 with its ends bent inwardly to press against the under edge of the flange l6 extending perimetrically around the freezing tray. Similarly the lever 26 is formed with a downwardly extending portion 29 having the inwardly turned end 3|! to catch beneath the flange l6 of the bottom tray I511. The levers 24 and 26 have portions that overlap so as to permit the single crank to protrude and engage in slots formed therein. The slot in the lever 24 is cut 5.

with a straight section terminating in an arcuate section 32. A similarly shaped slot is formed in the lever 26 with a straight section 33 and an arcuate section 34 which extends in reverse direction to the arcuate slot 32 in lever 24. It will be noted that the arcuate slots 32 and 34 form a semi-circle of an are equal to the radius swung in the travel of the crank 2|.

In operation the crank 2| in its radial swing will engage in operation with only one of the levers. By rocking the operating handle 20 in one direction, as for example in a counter-clockwise direction for the release of tray l5, the crank 2| will engage in the straight slot 3| to force an upward movement the tray |5 to rupture its ice-bond with the shelf l2. No motion is transmitted to the lever 26 as the crank will harmlessly travel in the arcuate slot 34 coinciding with the radius of the cranks travel to lift the tray l5. A reverse direction of rotation of the handle 20 will cause the rupturing of the ice bonding tray |5a to the evaporator through the operation of crank 2| with lever 26. The lever 24 in the latter case will be at rest because of the arcuate slot 32.

of the lever 24 with From the foregoing description it becomes obvious that the arrangement and construction of parts between the handle 20 and trays l5 and Mia that only the desired tray is released from its ice-bond to permit the ready removal of the same from the evaporating unit. Furthermore the device is so arranged and constucted that the trays may be readily removed, once freed of its ice-bond, without interfering with or requiring any further setting of the mechanism.

Furthermore it will be noted that the trays do not have releasing mechanism attached thereto and that the releasing mechanism herein disclosed is permanently attached to the shelf in the evaporator. the releasing mechanism may be readily secured to the shelf to cooperate with the trays to facilitate removal of the trays without in any manner marring the enamelled coating of the evaporator.

While I have shown and described only one of the forms which the present invention may assume, it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a refrigeration evaporating unit, ice freezing tray supported in said unit, a perimetrical flange formed on said tray, a lever for free engagement with said flange, an arcuate slot formed in said lever, a crank engageable in said slot and operable by an arm extending forwardly of said tray to move said lever in one 7 direction to force a separation between said tray and support.

2. In combination, a refrigeration evaporating unit, a shelf supported in said unit, an icefreezing tray supported on said shelf, a lever for engagement with said tray, a second icefreezing tray supported beneath said shelf in said unit, a second lever to engage said second mentioned tray, a rotatable shaft mounted beneath said shelf, an operating handle secured onforward end and a crank on rear end of said shaft, and means in each of said levers for operative engagement with said crank relative to the direction of rotation of said handle to operate one of said mentioned levers to force a separation of the respective tray from support. v

3. In combination, a refrigeration evaporating unit, a shelf supported in said unit, an icefreezing tray supported on said shelf, a lever for engagement with said tray, a second ice-freezing tray supported beneath said shelf in said unit,

a second lever to engage said second mentioned tray,

a rotatable shaft mounted beneath said This is an advantage since shelf, an operating handle secured on forward end and a crank on rear end of said shaft, and selective means associated with each of said levers for operative and inoperative engagement with said crank relative to the direction of rotation.

.4. In combination, a refrigeration evaporating unit, a shelf supported in said unit, an icefreezing tray supported on said shelf, a lever for engagement with said tray, a second icefreezing tray supported beneath said shelf in said unit, a second lever to engage said second mentioned tray, a rotatable shaft mounted beneath said shelf, an operating handle secured on forward end and a crank on rear end of said shaft, and arcuate slots formed in each of said levers.

5. In combination, a refrigeration evaporating 'unit, ice freezing trays slideable in said unit,

flanges formed on said trays each engageable by levers mounted rearwardly and in space parallel relationship on said unit, a crank, an arm extending forwardly of said trays to oper' ate said crank, and arcuate slots formed in said levers for operative and inoperative engagement by said crank to move a lever into engagement with said flange to raise the respective tray off said unit.

6. An ice-freezing tray release mechanism of the class described comprising; a support, a'lever fulcrumed from and adapted to raise a tray slideable on said support, a second lever fulcrumed on said support adapted to raise a second tray slideable beneath said support, each of said levers having a common overlapping portion provided with arcuate slots reversely positioned relative to each other to provide for an operative and inoperative engagement with a. crank common to both, and means for operating said crank.

7. An ice freezing tray release mechanism of the class described comprising a support, a lever fulcrumed on said support, adapted to move against the edge of a lip for raising the tray, a

second lever fulcrumedon said support adapted to engage similarly with a second tray, an arcuate slot formed in said first mentioned lever,

a second slot formed in said second mentioned lever to form reversely with said first mentioned slot an arc of an operating handle formed on one end of a rod bearing on said support and 

